Wetland loss and degradation in the Northeast has been especially severe and the ability of remaining wetland resources, heavily impacted by human populations, to support wintering and migrating waterfowl needs to be assessed. I conducted a food availability study in the Hackensack Meadowlands, New Jersey, to estimate available food biomass and duck use-days for dabbling ducks in tidally-influenced (tidal) and tidally-restricted (restricted) wetlands. I sampled invertebrates, seeds, roots and tubers, and vegetation in waterfowl-focused microhabitats during fall, winter, and spring in 2005-2006. Food availability was greater in tidal sites than restricted sites for all seasons ( P<0.05). Food availability ranged from 82±14 kg/ha (spring) to 300±56 kg/ha (fall) at restricted sites and from 392±147 kg/ha (spring) to 586±121 kg/ha (fall) at tidal sites. I also conducted scan-sampling behavioral surveys in winter and spring 2006 to determine the extent of waterfowl foraging in the Meadowlands during my sampling periods. Duck use-days/ha (DUDs/ha) did not differ between tidal (1084±165 DUDs/ha) and restricted (774±136 DUDs/ha) sites in fall (P=0.166). In winter, more DUDs/ha were available in tidal sites (1123±259 DUDs/ha) compared to restricted sites (534±144 DUDs/ha; P=0.034). Spring estimates of carrying capacity were greater in tidal sites (853±246 DUDs/ha) than in restricted sites (173±41 DUDs/ha; P≤0.001). I modeled the potential to sustain the energetic requirements of current and target waterfowl populations expected to use the Meadowlands as wintering and migration habitat. Under all modeling scenarios, a surplus of DUDs remained, which indicates the Meadowlands was capable of supporting additional wintering and migrating waterfowl. The results of my research suggest that carrying capacity is greater in tidal habitat than in restricted habitat during waterfowl spring migration and wintering periods. Restoration activities in the Meadowlands should focus on restoring tidal hydrology and native saltmarsh vegetation to restricted and phragmites-dominated wetlands to maximize energetic carrying capacity for wintering and migrating dabbling ducks.